YoungMinds is a leading UK-based charity campaigning for children and young people’s mental health. The charity has put this first donation from Mark Allen Foundation towards its Parents Helpline. The free-to-access Parents Helpline offers families a lifeline when they don’t know what to do or who to turn to; giving them the confidence and knowledge that they need to reassure and support the young people in their lives.

Founded in 2005, STOP THE TRAFFIK offers a unique, intelligence-led approach developed to systemically disrupt human trafficking. The recent donation from Mark Allen Foundation has benefitted a project to prevent child exploitation by addressing the gaps in perception and knowledge between children, caregivers and support providers. “It’s important for children to know how to recognise the many forms exploitation can take – to prevent it from happening in the first place,” says Rebekah Lisgarten, director of operations at STOP THE TRAFFIK.

The STOP THE TRAFFIK project involves a targeted social media campaign that will reach more than 100,000 caregivers who may be able to spot the signs of exploitation and support at-risk young people. The project also encompasses training for school staff on the risks and indicators of child exploitation; and a collaborative research report to highlight project findings, which will hear directly from young people. The latter will ultimately function as a resource designed to be distributed among relevant stakeholders and it will be submitted to shape the decision-making process that aims to prevent child exploitation in the UK. Twelve children a day are recognised as victims of exploitation in the UK; this project aims to protect those children most at risk.

Mark Allen Foundation is a charitable foundation recently established by Mark Allen Group as a conduit for employees to coordinate their fundraising efforts. It will also raise funds through the group’s portfolio of client events. The two charities were selected by the foundation’s committee of staff, based on a remit from colleagues across the business to support charities focussed on the care and development of children, and people suffering with mental health issues.